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AN EXCURSION TO THE FRONT AT LILLE 307
the health to go out to the war, for they shoot so thoughtlessly
and lay the guns so carelessly that at times shells will actually
drop at the very spot where one is standing.
When the General had retired early to go about his night’s
work, the Duke asked a dozen merry and entertaining officers
to join him at his house. There we gathered in the drawing-
room, cigars were lighted and the frothing nectar was poured
out. They were all in brilliant spirits. No gloomy faces
among these men, many of whom looked death in the face
every day from trenches and aircraft and on daring scouting
duty.
They represented among them many of Germany’s most
illustrious families. The talk was loud and frank and gay,
but when an officer of the General Staff came in straight from
the Chief Command and read out the latest news from the
eastern battlefields or from far-away tropical seas, perfect
stillness and silence suddenly came upon the room and every-
body listened intently. After that a more serious mood came
over the assembly and they began to discuss the solemn
business of war.
The guests included the young Hereditary Prince Friedrich
of Hohenzollern, a beardless Apollo, related to three royal
houses. He is a nephew of the King of Roumania, In some
way or other, I forget how, he is a kinsman of the unhappy
King of Belgium, and the brother-in-law of no less a person
than—ex-King Manuel of Portugal. The Prince was an
exceedingly pleasant young fellow, brimming over with good
spirits and full of jests and pranks, but I never saw him
laugh.
Another guest was the amiable Herr Schoelvinck, a director
of Benz and Company. He was now serving in the army with
the rank of Captain and was one of the four parlementaires
who were despatched to Rheims to discuss the terms of capitu-
lation. They were taken prisoners and regarded as spies, and
would probably have shared their usual fate had not the
Emperor appealed to the American Ambassador in Paris,
who managed to secure their release. I should say that in
time to come they will have something to tell about the
reception accorded them in France.
Another of the four parlementaires was also present at
this evening’s sitting, in the person of volunteer Cleving of
the Royal Theatre of Berlin, a perfectly fascinating man.
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